About 150 to 200 guests and delegates of our association of churches are coming to Medford for the Annual Meeting of Converge Great Lakes (CGL). FBC has the pleasure of hosting the meeting in our facilities this year.
The Conference
For those of you unaware, FBC voluntarily is a part of a national association of like-minded churches (sometimes called a denomination) called Converge Worldwide (formerly known as the Baptist General Conference). CW comprises of about 1200 churches across the US who share the same beliefs about God and who partner together in kingdom work. There are 13 regional districts in CW; we participate in CGL, which has 100+ churches in Wisconsin and UP of Michigan. We are happy to be a part of this association of churches because we believe we can accomplish more when we work together.
The Meeting
Once a year, pastors, delegates, and guests from the 100+ CGL churches gather together to celebrate what God has done in the past year and to prayerfully look ahead to see what God might do in the future. Some of the highlights of the annual meetings include welcoming new churches into our association of churches, commissioning new church planters to the region, and learning and worshiping together for a few days.
The weekend includes a variety of ministry opportunities. There are main sessions where everyone is encouraged with the scriptures. Times of worship, praise, and prayer are included in these main sessions. There are also breakout sessions people can attend and be helped by. For example, there’s a breakout session on how to minister to our LGBTQ neighbors; another one on working with today’s youth. There are also a variety of ministry vendors promoting their resources and work. The meeting provides a chance for Christians to spend time together, eat together, and grow and learn together. Oh yes, there is one business meeting, too.
We’re Hosting
We feel privileged to be asked to serve our fellow CGL churches by hosting this years meeting. With hosting comes responsibilities. Pastor George volunteered to oversee this event and he’s been working with many key leaders in a variety of areas so we can be ready to serve well. But in addition to these key leaders are a variety of volunteers. We will need volunteers to provide desserts, kitchen help, to usher, music team members, nursery workers (who get paid… score!), and more. Pastor George will be highlighting these areas very soon; I’m hoping many of you will be happy to help in the ways God gifts you. And if you do volunteer, you can attend some of the main sessions or breakout sessions free of charge.
Come!
If you’re interested in participating and learning more about our CGL churches and work, you should come. There is a registration cost for participants, but you may find it’s worth every penny. I know that I’m encouraged to see and interact with others around the region who have the same heart, passion, and dedication to the gospel as we do. Learn more or register here.